Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate has today warned developers not to spend too much of their money getting outline planning permission for controversial strategic sites in West Worcestershire before a General Election. Bloor Homes is looking to apply to Malvern Hills District Council for outline planning permission to build almost 4,000 homes with 14 acres of employment land on fields between Elgar’s birthplace in Lower Broadheath and Dines Green. South Worcestershire’s three district councils are currently obliged to look for room for 25,500 homes as part of the Regional Spatial Strategy ordered by Gordon Brown’s Labour government. However, with a General Election due before June, the Conservatives have reiterated their policy of abolishing the Regional Spatial Strategy’s housing targets and passing responsibility back to local councils to determine local needs. Harriett Baldwin said, "If the applicant hopes that by putting in this application now it will not be affected if there is a change of government, they have made a miscalculation." Cllr David Hughes, Chairman of the South Worcestershire Joint Advisory Panel said, "The Bloor Homes application should be dealt with in the light of current development plan policies, and a premature application of this nature cannot be progressed under the SWJCS until all the outstanding issues of infrastructure and transportation have been satisfactorily resolved, and a final ratified SW strategy emerges. There is certainly no guarantee that the West of Worcester options will go forward in the final Strategy." | click here for map.